Andre Roberson All About Books for MLK Day

When Andre Roberson was their age, he pored over pages of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series.

For fellow fans of the book, Roberson spent Monday afternoon mining the shelves for the spine-tingling favorite inside the Rolling Thunder Book Bus, presented by American Fidelity.

Eyes popped and jaws went slack when the kids caught sight of the Thunder swingman inside as he met them with high-five slaps.

A total of 75 gratified third- and fourth-grade students at Thelma Parks Elementary dismounted the steps of the bus clutching their select paperbacks to cap the school day.

Roberson made sure readers had a copy of “Martin’s Big Words” to take home as well in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

“You want to share his story and keep it going for generations to come,” Roberson said.

Between swapping cherubic smiles for bookmarks and Thunder wristbands, the students came away with not only reading material, but also memories to take home during their facetime with the affable Roberson.

“Every time we have an opportunity to see players with kids, it’s a tremendous excitement to see those kids gravitate to them,” said Roy Bishop of American Fidelity. “It’s about the Thunder and it’s about that relationship they have with our community.”

On multiple fronts, Roberson’s surprise visit served as a game-changer for young minds to prioritize reading for life while celebrating the legacy of a Civil Rights hero.

The colorful bus’ premise was to impact the trajectory of a student’s goals and interests through books while having one of their Thunder idols reinforce the pivotal nature of literacy.

“Reading gives them options to explore what they want to do in life,” said Roberson. “It very important to introduce them at an early age.”

Literacy notched a win for every crevasse created within the shelves.

“The importance of establishing of why you need to be reading at an early age and having an experience of getting your first book might excite you to read,” said Bishop. “That foundation will make a difference in all of our lives.”

Books aplenty. Roberson has over 3,000 books at his disposal to satiate the reading appetites of the students. Photo by Zach Beeker | OKC Thunder

Welcome from Dre. Roberson delivers hand slaps and smiles for the kids before they scan the shelves for must-have reading material. Photo by Zach Beeker | OKC Thunder